Pharmacology BSc (Hons)

University of Leeds

Do you want to learn how drugs work in the body, how they are discovered, developed for human use, and how they can sometimes have unwanted effects? Pharmacology is the scientific study of drugs or medicines and is essential to all medical disciplines and the treatment of disease.

You’ll develop skills relevant to the pharmaceutical industry that will in-turn help to address global challenges, such as tackling antibiotic resistance. You will be equipped with the knowledge needed to develop new drugs to treat global challenges such as Ebola, Covid-19, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s disease and Cardiovascular disease.

You will study the principal body systems and explore individual areas of pharmacology in great detail. Areas such as psychopharmacology, antiviral therapy, cancer therapy and molecular pharmacology.

Our focus will be on making you workplace ready, equipped with the knowledge, skills and attributes required to succeed in whatever career you choose. To showcase your knowledge to potential employers, you will undertake a capstone or culminating research project, where you will bring together the knowledge, skills and attributes developed throughout your degree.

You will be involved in active learning approaches including critical thinking, creative problem solving, team-working and mini-projects to progressively develop the key skills and attributes required by Pharmacology graduates.

This 3 year BSc can also be converted into an integrated Masters (MBiol) with an optional additional year of specialist training, subject to suitable academic performance and availability. You would study advanced research topics and undertake your own extended research project within one of the major research laboratories in the School of Biomedical Sciences or an appropriate period of work based practice.

Course highlights:

• Designed to give a broad scientific foundation and key graduate skills for those interested in pharmacology.
• Benefit from our pharmaceutical industry partnerships through guest lectures from international companies such as Labcorp and AstraZeneca.
• Delivered using inspirational, engaging and inclusive approaches.
• Develop experimental skills in specialised laboratories.
• Experimental skills modules throughout the first 2 years train you to identify and find answers to key biomedical and pharmacological questions.
• The opportunity to undertake an independent capstone research project under the supervision of a field-leading academic, further developing the key skills and attributes that will set you apart in the graduate job market.

This course is accredited at advanced level by the Royal Society of Biology for the purpose of meeting in part the academic and experience requirement for the Membership and Chartered Biologist (CBiol). Graduates can apply for membership of the Royal Society of Biology at Member (MRSB) level after two years of practice, rather than the usual three years, due to the significant research experience acquired.